Vehicle



0st 4, 1938. H. G. SCI-IIAEFER VEHICLE Filed June 5, 1934 5 Sheets-She 1IN VENTOR.

Oct. 4?, 1938. H. G; SCHAEFER VEHICLE Filed June 5, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet2 ATTORNE J1 Uct 4, 19%.. H G AE ER msmm VEHICLE Filed June 5, 1934 5Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY;-

Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFPiicE VEHICLE ApplicationJune 5, 1934, Serial No. 729,045

Claims.

The present invention relates as indicated to vehicles, but has moreparticular reference to that type of commercial vehicle which includes atractor and a semi-trailer.

' A primary object of the invention is to provide a vehicle of thecharacter described in which the Wheeled supports with which thesemi-trailer is usually provided are actuated in response to movement ofone of the coupling elements of the tractor and trailer by the other ofsuch coupling elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle of the characterdescribed in which certain of the rear wheels of the semi-trailer aresteered in response to angular displacement of the trailer couplingelement when the tractor is steered, whereby a shorter turning radius ofthe vehicle is secured, jack-knifing is avoided, tire wear is lessened,the operation and control of the vehicle made easier, and otherancillary advantages are secured.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle of thecharacter described in which the loads are evenly and properlydistributed over the wheels of the vehicle, regardless of the contour ofthe roads over which the vehicle is travelling and in which thetransmission of excessive stresses to the frame of the vehicle isavoided and the useful life of the vehicle is considerably prolonged.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said inventionthen consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims; the annexed drawings and the followingdescription setting forth in detail a preferred form of constructionembodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, butone of various construction forms in which the principle of theinvention may be embodied.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a vehicle embodying theinvention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one side of the vehicleshown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one of thesub-frames of the trailer; Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinalcross-sectional view of end of the trailer coupling pin; Fig. 9 is adetail, cross-sectional view showing the manner in which the sub-framesare mounted on the trailer axles, and Fig. 10 is a plan view of thetractor fifth wheel.

Referring more particularly. to the drawings, it will be seen that thevehicle is of the commercial type and comprises a motor driven tractorgenerally designated I and a semi-trailer generally designated 2 adaptedto be coupled therewith. Mounted on the frame 3 of the tractor directlyabove the rear wheels 4 thereof is a fifth wheel 5. This fifth wheel isof a type commonly found in vehicles of this character, beingcharacterized by the fact that it has a limited degree of pivotalmovement about an axis transverse to the direction of movement of thetractor, providing in effect a pivotal mounting forthe forward end ofthe semi-trailer to which it is coupled; has rearwardly extendinginclined surfaces 6, whereby when the tractor is backed rearwardly underthe forward end of the trailer, the trailer body is elevatedsufliciently to raise the wheeled supports with which the'latter isprovided slightly off the ground; and has a V-shaped recess! which thecoupling pin of the trailer is adapted to enter. It differs from theusual type f fifth wheel in that it is provided at its center with anon-rotatable block 8 having a V-shaped recess 9 therein opening towardthe rear end of the tractor.

The semi-trailer 2 comprises a frame which includes transversely spacedchannels ill, the forward ends of which are offset vertically to provideample space for the rear end of the .tractor. Channels ill havepivotally mounted thereon as on .a cross bar ll, levers l2 which carryarms i3 which in turn support wheels l4. Pivoted to the levers I2intermediate the ends are links l5, the other ends of which are pivotedto an ear I6 which is rigidly secured to the plate ll of the trailerfifth wheel. The plate I1 is slidably mounted on the channels In, beingsecured as by gibs iii to channels l9 which have a sliding fit withinchannels [0 and are movable longitudinally thereof. The channels I9 haverigidly secured thereto at longitudinally spaced points, blocks and 2|which are respectively provided with recesses 22 and 23 and serve apurpose to be presently described.

Disposed at the center of the plate I! is a bearing 24 which is weldedor otherwise secured to the plate and rotatably mounted within saidbearing is the trailer coupling pin 25. Pin 25 is provided adjacent itsupper end with a squared portion 26 and on its lower end with a wedgeblock 21 which is adapted to enter a V-shaped recess 9 in the block 8when the tractor is backed under the trailer during the coupling. Whenthe trailer is to be coupled to the tractor, the brakes are applied tothe rear wheels of the trailer and the tractor is backed under thetrailer, the trailer body during this movement being elevatedsufficiently by the inclined surfaces 6 of the tractor fifth wheel toraise the wheels I 4 of the wheeled supports about two inches fromtheground. After the coupling pin 25 of the trailer is engaged by theblock 8 of the tractor fifth wheel, the pin is locked to such block bymeans (not shown) which is commonly found in devices of this character,such, for example, as that shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the French patentto Jagenberg No. 355,154, or by automatically operated locking means. Atthis point, locking pins 28, which extend into recesses 23 in blocks 2|and thus lock the trailer fifth wheelin the position shown in Figs. 4and 6, are retracted from these blocks by suitable mechanism. Thismechanism as shown in Fig. 6 comprises bell-crank levers 29 which arepivoted as at 30 to the channels In, connecting rods 3|, bellcranklevers 32, pivoted as at 33 to channels I0, and a rod 34 interconnectinglevers 32. One of the levers 32 is provided with a handle 35 foreflecting retraction of the locking pins, and springs 36 are providedfor normally urging the pins to locking position. With the pins 28 thusretracted, continued rearward movement of the tractor results in aswinging of the wheeled supports to their inoperative position shown inFig. 5. During this movement, the handle 35 may be "released and whenthe recesses 22 in the blocks 2!! become aligned with the pins 28 thelatter automatically enter these recesses, thus locking the fifth wheelof the trailer against longitudinal movement and maintaining the wheeledsupports in inoperative position. The trailer is now coupled and readyto be drawn by the tractor.

Means have also been provided for communicating the steering effect ofthe tractor to the rear wheels of the trailer through the coupling pinof the trailer. For this purpose, the squared portion 26 of the couplingpin 25 has secured thereto a lever 31, which is secured at its other endto a transverse lever 38. Lever 38 is connected to a torque rodconsisting of a member 39, sleeve 4|], members 4|, 42 and 43, sleeve 44and member 45. The torque rod is mounted in suitable bearings 46extending from one of the channels Ill. The members 4| and 43 have asplined connection with the sleeves 40 and 44 respectively, while theremaining connections are in the form of universal joints 41. Thesplined connection between sleeve 40 and member 4| permits movement ofthe trailer fifth wheel to the position shown in Fig. 5. The member 45of the torque rod is connected to a lever 48, which in turn is securedto an operating lever 49, movement of which steers the wheel 56 at therear of the trailer. The steering effect is communicated to the oppositewheel (not shown) through a lever 5| and tie rod 52 which passes througha bracket53 secured to the axle 54. Coil springs 55, disposed betweenthe bracket 53 and collars 56 on the tie rod, serve to prevent turningof .the rear wheels in case of breakage of one of the elements of thesteering mechanism and also tend to prevent shimmying of the rearwheels.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that when the tractoris turning, as in going around a corner, the turning effect of thetractoris communicated to the rear wheels of the trailer through thewedge block 21, coupling pin 25, levers 31 and 38, and torque rod.Variations in the center to center distance between the wheels 4 of thetractor and the rear wheels of the trailer, due to passage of the frontor rear wheels over ruts or obstructions in the road, will becompensated for by the splined connection between the sleeve 44 andmember 45 crime torque rod, so that steering may be effected at alltimes without danger of the torque rod binding in its bearings 46. Bythe use of a rear wheel steering mechanism, such as described, thevehicle may be steered within a much smaller radius than has heretoforebeen possible in commercial vehicles of this type, tire wear isconsiderably lessened, danger of jack-kniflng is avoided and theoperation and control of the vehicle is made easier. I

Means have also been provided for securing an even and properdistribution of the loads over the wheels of the vehicle, regardless ofthe contour of the roads over which the vehicle is travelling, and foravoiding the transmission of excessive stresses to the body of thevehicle so as to prolong the useful life of the vehicle. These objectsare accomplished to some degree as a result of the limited degree of thepivotal movement of the tractor fifth wheel about an axis transverse tothe direction of movement of the tractor. They are accomplishedprincipally, however, by the mounting of the rear end of the trailerframe. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the channels i0 of the trailerframe have secured thereto at longitudinally spaced points hangers 51and 58. Pivotally secured to hangers 51 is a shockabscrber comprising ahousing 59, coil spring 60 and piston 6|. Piston 6| is pivotally securedto a cantilever arm 62 which is integral with a second cantilever arm 63pivotally secured to the hanger 58. The cantilever arms 62 and 63 attheir point of junction are pivotally mounted on a stub shaft 64 whichis carried by a sub-frame consisting of a pair of channels 65 and 66.These channels are spread apart intermediate their ends to accommodatethe cantilever arms and are mounted on the rear axle 54 and the frontaxle 61 of the trailer in a manner which is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2and 9. As shown in Fig. 9, each axle has rigidly clamped thereto. as bymeans of U-bolts 68, a hanger 69 which forms a bearing for a stub shaft10 which is welded or otherwise secured to the channels 65 and 66 of thesub-frame. The hanger is provided in its ends with recesses II andI2,within which are disposed coil springs 13 and 14. Spring 13 is inabutment with the hanger and a nut 15 secured to the stub shaft I0 andspring 14 is in abutment with the hanger and an enlargement 16 on thestub shaft 10. This manner of mounting the sub-frames not only providesa resilient cushion for absorbing longitudinal stresses between thesub-frames and axles, but also permits the sub-frames to oscillate to aslight degree transversely of the direction of movement of the vehicle.In addition, pivotal mounting of the trailer body on the sub-frames iseffective to prevent the transmission of excessive stresses from thesub-frames to the main frame of the trailer.

Coupled to the axle 61 of the front wheels 11 of the trailer is awishbone 18 which is secured as at 19 to the main frame of the trailer.This wishbone maintains the sub-frames and wheels 11 parallel to thebody chassis or frame when the vehicle is being turned.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSerial No. 679,695, filed July 10, 1933.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structureherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a tractor-trailer, a tractor provided with a fifth wheel having ablock rigidly associated therewith, said block having a V-shaped recesstherein; a trailer having a fifth wheel provided with a rotatablecoupling pin having a wedge portion adapted to enter said recess, andmeans including said coupling pin for communicating angular displacementof said block to the rear wheels of the trailer for steering the latter.

2. In a tractor trailer, a tractor provided with a fifth wheel, atrailer having a fifth wheel mounted for slidable movementlongitudinally of the trailer, said trailer fifth wheel having acoupling pin for coupling the tractor and trailer, and means forcommunicating the steering effect of said tractor to the rear wheels ofthe trailer, said means including said coupling pin and means operableby said coupling pin to steer said rear wheels.

3. In a tractor trailer, a tractor provided with a fifth wheel, atrailer having a fifth wheel mounted for slidable movementlongitudinally of the trailer, said fifth wheel having a coupling pinfor coupling the tractor andtrailer, and means for communicating thesteering effect of said tractor to the rear wheels of the trailerirrespective of the position of the trailer fifth wheel, said meansincluding said coupling pin and splined members operable by saidcoupling pin to steer said rear wheels.

4.. A trailer comprising a frame, a fifth wheel mounted thereon, abearing block mounted on said fifth wheel, a coupling pin disposedwithin said bearing, said pin having its axis vertical and beingrotatable upon its axis, wheels for supporting the rear end of saidtrailer and means responsive to rotation of said coupling pin about itsaxis for steering said wheels.

5. A trailer comprising a frame, a fifth wheel mounted thereon andslidable longitudinally thereof, ,a bearing block mounted on said fifth

